A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion The Plants and Flowers Forum Hollyhock from Seed

I have never tried growing them from seed...so, should I remove the little seeds from the larger seed covering before planting? I would think this would help them germinate more quickly.

yes it would help. you'll discover that some seed cases are empty, and some have little weevil larvae inside :S quite the surprise the first time i peeled the seed case

I would think so. I have several varieties to plant this year, but from packets. I have the plain old pink variety that I gre from transplants, they reseed freely.
Would you like any exotic ones, alan? I have seed for black, and if I recall, a variegated one, and a mix,...I'll probably just scratch the soil and sow them.
They won't bloom until next year, right? Not sure.

The one I have is from a seed packet called Country Romance, a single bloom in several different colors. Some Hollyhocks will bloom the first year, while others take 2 seasons to bloom. The one I have takes 2. I had a black one and 2 red ones last year that bloomed nicely, but I forgot to save seeds and they died late summer after blooming. I'm hoping a few seedlings will pop up here and there.

it takes 7- 21 days for a Hollyhock seed to germanate, and I have found it's closer to the 21 day mark than the seven, they can not be started indoors, they have a tap root and they have to be started outdoors. They can be started in the fall, or early spring. both have worked well for me, once you get Hollyhocks you will always have Hollyhocks

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so are they a true biennial? I have tons of rosettes in my bed where new ones are waiting for warm weather, but I thought the larger rosettes were the original plant(s) and they bloomed every year...
can't wait to get some extra colors going. I find that they don't get any mildew at all in my sandy soil, even though they're in part shade.
They get leaf miners but I pay no attention, it just makes the foliage less attractive, but doesn't hurt the plants.

That is a great picture of your Hollyhocks. I planted black, pink and maybe black last year. I'll see this year what comes up. I started mine in yogurt cups and then transplanted them. They didn't seem to mind. Maybe I was just lucky. It'll probably never happen again.

I planted doubles this fall, see if they happen to produce..Yellow??

you and I are so much alike dodge. I like yellow too.

tee hee

Now in Michigan bulb co catalog
There is a gorgeous Hollyhock.
Peaches n Dreams..

Page 17 if you can read it online..

I also love the sparkle meadow Rue.......Beside it ......

Page 22 Bumble bee primrose..

Was just lookin at it this am..

b :ding:

On my wish list..

I start mine in peat pots, they transplant out just fine. The ones you get from mail orders are bare root. crush the seed head and seperate the seeds. If started early indoors they will sometimes bloom the same year. Mine are true peranials they come back every year bigger and better.

I let my seeds go last year and I have Hollyhocks everywhere, I picked up some doubles, I hope to see some of those this year.

Thanks TK, I got mostly pinks, but I do have these really dark reds out by a tree

I'm also starting some in peat pots...got one coming up now. I also bought a few bare root ones from Lowe's yesterday...they already have their summer bulbs and stuff- dahlias, lilies, etc.

one of your Hollyhocks is coming up?

Which one ?

I have 3 healthy Country Romance seedlings now in peat pots under grow lights...they are all about 2 inches high, and starting to get their true leaves.


I noticed that my red Hollyhock that is outside does not have any basal leaves anymore...does this mean it has died? It bloomed nicely last year. I was hoping it would be a true perennial, not biennial.

Good questions. I don't know if there are true perrennials or only biennials or if it depends on the cultivar. Mine come back every year, but they are plain pink with a red here and there, nothing fancy. They could just be re-growing from seed that fell a year or two before and so giving me blooms every year, but it sure seems some are the original transplants.
Mine will sometimes freeze to the ground once or more during winter and still come back with some warmer temps, so I doubt yours are dead.

I agree with peppereater,i have grown some from seed but they did not bloom the first year,but bloomed the second year and had a few come back after that.so they can come back from the original plant even after a cold winter,you can start them here in sone 7 in early spring,i start mine right in the ground.so theres a good chance yours will be ok and rebloom this spring.

I really hope it comes back...it was a very nice color. I always thought they kept their basal leaves throughout winter, so when they disappeared, I assumed it was dead.

mine stay green year round here (the bottoms) and I cut the tops off for new spikes every year. IF I want them in a different place I cut a spike off and shake the seeds where I want them I gather some seeds every year for trade, but I have tons because they make tuns of seeds and no way to collect them all.

Hi Belinda , Long time no see.

Arkansas is mild weather compared to zone 5.

DIfference of the weather there..
b